On the trail of suspected terrorists ATS team visits Dharwad

Local police not kept in loop; they had no information about the ATS team's visit

The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) officials from Mumbai and Chennai visited Dharwad city and collected information relating to the bomb blast at Chennai. The team has also searched internet parlours and STD booths which were reportedly used by two youths staying at Arogya Nagar of Tejaswi Nagar in Dharwad.

According to sources, the ATS team had come to the city based on information revealed by two youths arrested by the ATS in Hyderabad. The youths, natives of Uttar Pradesh, were arrested on suspicion of being involved in terrorist activities and had reportedly told the interrogators that they had been staying in Dharwad earlier.

Highly-placed sources in the police said the ATS team also raided a cyber cafe and an STD booth in the locality and collected evidences. However, the local police were not kept in the loop and they had no information about the ATS team's visit and the subsequent raids.

Sources stated that the two youths had rented a house in Tejaswi Nagar in May this year. They had given their names as Arvind, Anand and Kishan and informed the owner Shivaji Kulkarni that they were merchants from UP and had come to Dharwad for selling their products. However, these youth used to remain indoors throughout the day and were going to cyber cafe and STD phone call centre during late night, sources added. Moreover, a group of persons from Hyderabad used to frequently visit their house. The trio reportedly vacated the house in May this year.

The sources further stated that these youths used to make international calls and send international e-mails to various destinations. Based on the IP address of the computers from where the e-mails were sent, the ATS officials visited the cyber cafe to unearth more details.

This incident has sent shock waves among the neighbours.